Nuclear Watchdog Mulls Action Over Iran Nuclear Program

Although top European officials, including those from France and Germany, failed to come to an agreement with Iran on nuclear enrichment Friday, diplomats told the Associated Press the two sides discussed plans that would allow Iran small-scale enrichment after it reimposed its freeze for an unspecified period.

The move would let Iran run its program on a research basis rather than the full-scale enrichment it seeks.

Iran, a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, restarted some enrichment activities last month, two years after a voluntary freeze during negotiations with the European Union.

An offer from Russia to enrich uranium for Iran has faltered over Tehran’s refusal to end its domestic uranium-enrichment program.

After two-hour talks in Vienna at Iran’s request, officials and top diplomats from Germany, France and Britain, as well as EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, said Tehran had no new ideas on how to allay Western concerns that the country is working on nuclear weapon technology rather than for civilian purposes only, Reuters reported.

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation board of governors meets in Vienna on Monday to consider a report by IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei that says Iran ignored a Feb. 4 board resolution urging it to stop its uranium-enrichment work.

If the IAEA refers the matter to the U.N. Security Council, sanctions against Iran are possible, though the world body has thus far refrained from taking that step.